The Gary Null Show - 03.08.22

Nicotinamide riboside shows promise in Parkinson disease trial   Haukeland University Hospital  (Norway), March 7 2022.    The March 1, 2022 issue of Cell Metabolism reported findings from a randomized, double-blind trial that revealed a benefit for nicotinamide riboside (NR, a form of vitamin B3) among men and women with Parkinson disease. Nicotinamide riboside is a precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), a coenzyme involved in metabolism whose levels decline during aging. “A growing body of evidence supports that boosting cellular levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) may confer neuroprotective effects in both healthy aging and neurodegeneration,” Brage Brakedal and colleagues wrote. The trial included 30 newly diagnosed Parkinson disease patients who had not received treatment for the disease. Half of the participants received 500 milligrams NR twice daily and the remainder received a daily placebo for thirty days. Upon enrollment and at the end of the study, participants received MRI and PET scans of the brain, and cerebrospinal fluid, skeletal muscle and blood cells were analyzed for metabolites. Gene expression in muscle and blood cells, and serum and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation were also analyzed at these time points.   (NEXT)   GlyNAC supplementation extends life span in mice   Baylor College of Medicine, March 7, 2022   For over two decades, Sekhar has studied natural aging in older humans and aged mice. His work contributes to providing a better understanding of how glutathione deficiency, increased oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and multiple additional hallmark defects of aging contribute to the aging process and how they can be reversed with GlyNAC supplementation. "Energy is the currency of life and is generated by mitochondria. However, aging is associated with mitochondrial malfunction, and this could affect energy availability. When we discovered that GlyNAC supplementation can correct mitochondrial defects in aging, we asked an important question: Could GlyNAC supplementation from a younger age extend length of life?" said Sekhar. "To answer this question, we worked with healthy, normal laboratory mice."   (NEXT)   Common houseplants can improve air quality indoors   University of Birmingham UK, March 7 2022   Ordinary potted house plants can potentially make a significant contribution to reducing air pollution in homes and offices, according to new research led by the University of Birmingham . During a series of experiments monitoring common houseplants exposed to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) – a common pollutant – researchers calculated that in some conditions, the plants could be able to reduce NO2 by as much as 20 per cent. The researchers tested three houseplants, easy to maintain and not overly expensive to buy. They included Peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii), Corn plant (Dracaena fragrans) and fern arum (Zamioculcas zamiifolia). Each plant was put, by itself, into a test chamber containing levels of NO2 comparable to an office situated next to a busy road. Over a period of one hour, the team calculated that all the plants, regardless of species, were able to remove around half the NO2 in the chamber. The performance of the plants was not dependent on the plants’ environment, for example whether it was in light or dark conditions, and whether the soil was wet or dry.   (NEXT)   Nuts may help lower teenagers' risk of metabolic syndrome   University of Texas, March 5, 2022   Modest consumption of nuts every day is associated with an improved cardiovascular risk profile among adolescents, a new analysis of a large national database shows. T Adolescents who ate at least 12.9 grams (g) per day of nuts -- the equivalent of eating a small handful three times per week -- had less than half the odds of non-eaters for developing metabolic syndrome. This syndrome is a cluster of clinical features that heightens the risk of early heart disease and type 2 diabetes. "The surprising finding," said the study's lead investigator Roy Kim, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, "is that, in spite of what we know about their health benefits, the majority of teens eat no nuts at all on a typical day." More than 75% of all teens reported eating no nuts at all. The researchers discovered that metabolic syndrome risk decreased with each additional gram per day of nut intake, but only up to 50 g/day (about 1.8 ounces), when the benefit tapered off. Kim theorized that at higher intakes, any benefits may have been offset by eating too many calories.   (NEXT)   Garlic sprouted for five days has improved antioxidant potential   Medical News Today, 1 March 2022   "Sprouted" garlic - old garlic bulbs with bright green shoots emerging from the cloves - is considered to be past its prime and usually ends up in the garbage can. Scientists are reporting in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that this type of garlic has even more heart-healthy antioxidant activity than its fresher counterparts. Sprouted garlic has received much less attention. When seedlings grow into green plants, they make many new compounds, including those that protect the young plant against pathogens. Kim's group reasoned that the same thing might be happening when green shoots grow from old heads of garlic. Other studies have shown that sprouted beans and grains have increased antioxidant activity, so the team set out to see if the same is true for garlic.   TONIGHT, ON The Progressive Commentary Hour MY GUEST IS, Edward Dowd, Edward Dowd is a consultant for Symphonic Capital, a US and German financial firm analyzing risk management performance for S&P 500 market opportunities, where he advises on market and risk strategies. He is also a former managing director for large cap growth equities at Blackrock -- one of the world's top three corporate and banking asset holders.